Tam from Bailey’s and Books posted about how they were going to take part in the 100+ Reading Challenge for 2010. Following the links I found the original site. J. Kaye has issued the 100+ Reading Challenge for 2010 and I have foolishly signed myself up. I am not hugely optimistic of my chances but I signed up for a few reasons.

My first reason is simple. I have well over a hundred books lying around waiting to be read. Many of them have been waiting for nearly all of this year while others are more recent acquisitions. This might actually get me reading through some new material.

The second reason is that I think it is going to be a really fun challenge. I love reading and too often I find other things to do. Admittedly a lot of my reading time is now taken up by writing, or by reading blogs, but I love reading books and this will help me to make more time for it.

Finally, I like challenges. I like meeting them. I like overcoming obstacles and making things work. I also like there not being actual consequences should I fail. It will be a challenge, but a safe one where if I meet it I get satisfaction, if I don’t, well there is next year.

I admire you, Cassandra, for joining that challenge! I’m not planning to because, like Elizabeth, my hectic life just doesn’t allow that much reading (although I do read every day). Go to it and I wish you well!

I’ve done something like this before and I loved it but with all of the other challenges I’m doing . . . I guess I can attempt it on top of everything else I’m doing. It sounds like fun. If I don’t make 100 books at least I know I’ve finished most of the books I have my shelf. Maybe I’ll learn to balance my schedule a little better.

For the last ten years or so, I’ve regularly cracked the 100 mark in my yearly reading. I think last year was the best I’ve ever done at 120. But my crazy life this year has cut into my reading time. I’m going to be lucky to hit 100 by the end of the month.

A contest that encourages even more reading?! I’m in. I never counted how many books I’ve read in a year, but I’d be surprised if I approached 100. If I include the books I read to my 3 year old, then maybe. There’s no harm in trying. Thanks for the post!

I’ve thought it through and over the next week I’m going to spend some time putting together a tentative reading schedule. Then I am probably going to promptly ignore it until the end of next year. I’ll see how it goes.